


Red Moon

by orphan_account



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - US 21st c., Politics - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Twilight, Crack Treated Seriously, Highschool anime AU, I bought the first twilight book and read it just so i can write this you jerks, M/M, Stereotypes, im sorry 2 my mother, lots of Stereotypes, twilight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:30:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6794641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>About three things Marco was absolutely certain of. First, Rafael Edward Cruz was The Zodiac Killer. Second, there was a part of Cruz-and Marco didn’t know how strong that part was-that thirsted for his blood.<br/>And third, Marco was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Sight

Compared to the humid, muggy heat of Florida, Canada might as well have been The North Pole, that’s how cold it was to Marco. The young Cuban had layered sweater after sweater over himself so that he resembled a marshmallow rather than a person.

The decision to move to Canada had not been his choice. In fact, he had no say in the matter whatsoever. After the recent divorce of his parents, his parents had given him and his siblings an ultimatum. Either they could stay with their father in Florida and leave their mother who had nothing, having received the shorter end of the divorce agreement; no house, or money, no property. Or they could travel with their mother, assist her, and cut off relations with their father. Being the Mama’s Boy that he was, Marco naturally chose the later option. His siblings had went with their father, so currently it was just he and his mom. She had come to Canada on a work-visa, and he, a study abroad kind of program. It worked out rather well, even though they had to now stay at an Apartment. It was a downgrade from their former standard of living. Not that it was _much_ of a downgrade. The only difference now was that they had no backyard.

Even though it hadn’t been very much of a downgrade, Marco couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of hunger. Not for food, but for more. This way was no good for him. He wanted for better than this little Apartment. He felt entitled to it. _More_ is what his heart cried on the first day of school, watching people come in with cars. They weren’t necessarily good cars, the town they had moved to was pretty small, as a result, many of the vehicles were pretty old. That made the shiny ones stand out rather ostentatiously. There was only one car that stood out in this fashion. One sleek, 2016 XC90 Volvo, and the other boy who got out of it also stood out. Not for having the car, though there was certainly that.

The boy who stepped out of the car was dressed immaculately. He could have stepped out of a clothing model shoot and Marco would have believed it. He wore clothes appropriate for the winter, but unlike Marco, they did not hinder his movements. His sweater fit him well and did not make him look like a stuffed pillow, the scarf he wore did not look suffocating in the least. It was a warm color that contrasted with his skin- but in a good way. The only problem was his face. He had the face even a mother would punch, and Marco wasn’t sure he would like him.

The well dressed boy didn’t seem to notice Marco, probably because the distance they had between each other (he was on the other side of the parking lot and Marco had yet to get off the bus), and he strode into the school like he owned the place.

He actually did own the school building, but Marco did not know this fact.

Marco stayed where he was but was forced to move when the bus driver snapped her fingers to get his attention.

  
“-Talking to you! Are you deaf? Do you speak English?”

Marco blinked and looked to her. Yes. He did in fact speak English, thank you very much.

“You gonna sit there all day or get off?”

“Yes!” He exclaimed frantically, scrambling to get himself together,” Sorry, miss. I hope you have a lovely day.”

The wind shrieked and howled outside the bus.

Marco gave her a smarmy smile, gathered his things, and exited the bus, not hearing the woman’s muttered slur on his way out. He waddled over to the entrance of the school, his oversized coat weighing him back, and opened the door, a gust of hot air messing up his hair.

Self consciously, Marco fixed it up and stepped inside, fighting the urge to groan in pleasure. He headed to the office to get his schedule. The office was warmer, and Marco felt himself begin to heat up, sweat beading at his forehead and he looked at the office lady, clearing his throat to get her attention.

“Hello, I’m here to pick my schedule up.” Marco told her, sweatily.

The office lady looked up at him, giving him a long scan, taking in his appearance. She gave him a disgusted look and printed out his schedule for him. She snatched out a handful of tissues and tossed them his way.

“Here son…. Please leave.” She told him, wanting him gone.

Marco thought this was part of the niceness Canada was often stereotyped to have. Even still, he didn’t want free handouts, even if tissues were thoughtful in this cold, unbearable weather. She wouldn’t understand, Marco simply did not want charity. So he didn’t take them, despite the fact that she was essentially telling him to mop up his sweat, because it hadn’t even rained yet and he looked drenched.

“No thank you. Have a nice day.” He told her politely, exiting the office. The woman pulled out a walkie talkie and sighed, speaking to the janitors about watching out for a young man who looked like he was a living, breathing, water fountain.

Marco made it to his first class of the day, Government, and walked inside just as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. He was the only one without a seat. The teacher took a moment to take roll, and that’s when Marco saw him again. His mouth was set into a crooked line, like he was pained but didn’t know to smile or frown. He was glaring at him like Marco had personally offended him.

  
This offended _Marco_ though. The boy could have at least waited like everyone else for Marco to say something first.

“Marco tell us about yourself.” The teacher encouraged, making Marco straighten up, smoothing out his sweater to make himself more presentable. The teen was a mess of nerves in a jacket.

“I’m Marco and…” Marco tensed up, unable to speak under the other boy’s staring. He opened his mouth and closed it, before doing this again and clearing his throat again," I…”

The class waited. It was silent, and a full five minutes passed before the teacher finally put an end to it.

“That’s okay Marco. First days are hard on everyone. Why don’t you go have a seat. Mr. Cruz, raise your hand.”

To Marco’s surprise the handsome boy twitched. But he didn’t raise his hand right away. No, that would look too desperate and eager. The teacher may have asked him to raise his hand, but Cruz couldn’t just obey immediately. There were rules to this. So it took another five minutes and with exaggerated slowness, Mr. Cruz raised his hand. It was slow. It was very dramatic. Marco blushed for some reason. Slowly, the Cuban boy waddled over to the seat next to him. A loud sound of air deflating could be heard when Marco plopped down. This again, had to do with the boy’s large jacket. The air was slowly being emptied now.

Cruz was sitting as far away from him as possible, which Marco appreciated because he liked personal space, but also took offense to. What did he do to make Cruz upset with him? It usually took time for someone to start to dislike Marco, but that wasn’t the case with Cruz. It was as if the boy disliked him on the spot.

“Excuse me,” Marco began, flashing him a nervous but eager smile,” I’m Marco Rubio. I only have your first name and-”

Cruz’s eyes flickered to him. His eyes were coal black, and it sent terrible thrills tingling down Marco’s back. Thrills more chilling than the one’s Rocky Horror promised to deliver (and Marco was indeed afraid of transvestites, that musical had been too much for him, so much, that his mother told him he couldn’t watch it anymore because he hadn’t been able to sleep in his own bed until just last week).

He wondered how someone could hate him that much… Marco was used to being unliked true… but _this._ Tears threatened to bud at his eyes, not out of sadness, but embarrassment. His mind flashed over every person he had greeted that morning. Did they all…?

The rest of the class was passed in silence, and Marco wanted the ground to swallow him. At least hell was warm. When the bell rang, Cruz was out of his seat before anyone else. It was impressive because it took a few tries for Marco to even get out of his seat, clothing hindering his movement.

“You’re the new kid, Marco Rubio?” spoke an unfamiliar voice, as Marco struggled to stand up. Marco stood up, looking up at the taller kid. He had a forgettable face, one that really didn’t stand out. He was one of those unremarkable people and tragically average.

“Yes,” Marco cleared his throat, trying to look like he hadn’t almost bursted into tears when stared down at by some rich kid,”I am he. Marco. That’s me.”

“I’m John Kasich,” The other boy said, straight and to the point, “Need help finding your next class?”

Marco was tempted to tell him no, that he did not need anyone’s charity or help. He wouldn’t give it out himself so why should he accept it? But this was also a chance to make friends. His mother had told him to make some before he had left for school… And he was never one to disrespect his mother. But...

“No,” Marco said anyway, morals winning out over his mother’s words," I don’t accept free help.”

John looked impressed anyway. The way the other boy held himself… Marco was like something off of a Bishōnen anime all of a sudden. As soon as he had spoken those words, there was a drastic change, as if the entire world had began changing in rotation. It was a turning point if you will. There was a lack of sparkles and camera turns but it was clear. Marco was being established as the protagonist in this story. Everyone in the school took notice, the classroom may have been empty save for the teacher, but the change in atmosphere was prevalent to all, even those who were absent from school altogether that day.

“Alright, then can I walk with you?” He asked Marco instead. Marco let him. But it wasn’t as if he liked John, and it was likely that he wouldn’t even remember the man’s name. He gathered his things, and began walking to class, Cruz pushed out of his mind for the time being. Everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) nothing in this story necessarily reflects what this author thinks personally.
> 
> 2) the title was originally blue moon, but republicans are red aren't they? idk I don't pay much attention to american politics per say, just the memes....so fascinating.
> 
> 3) bishōnen - an anime trope in which a character [is sort of pretty](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Bishonen?from=Main.Bishounen)


	2. Hit the Lights

The next day, Marco saw no sign of Cruz in his class, nor did he the next day, or the following. Marco wondered if he just stopped coming to school. That wouldn’t look good on the attendance record. And would it seem too… eager if Marco was aiming for the perfect attendance award? As of now, the young Cuban was trying to establish a sort of reputation for himself. But he was unsure if he wanted that reputation to be good or bad. Thus far, for the entire month, he had been good at turning in homework, doing his work, and showing up on time.

Perhaps that was his reputation. He was the perfect type. The Ace, with good grades, good health, on the attractive side, etc. He could be that person. His bishie eyes sparkled as he walked into Government, only to be taken off guard when Cruz was there, sitting in his assigned seat. Oddly enough, the other boy’s chair was angled closer to him than before. Slowly and warily, Marco waddled over to the spot next to Cruz and took a seat, prepared to be ignored. He gave the other boy a cautious look, expecting a glare in return.

“Hello,” said a surprisingly likable voice that didn’t match the face,”I’m Rafael Cruz. Please, call me….”

There was a slow pause in between his words, it lasted for several breaths and even Marco, the protagonist, was affected by this coolness. The Cuban boy sucked in a breath, and waited to see what the boy would say.

 _“Ted_.”

Marco nodded and straightened up immediately, not wanting to _not_ live up to his building reputation as The Perfect Type.

“Marco Rubio. It’s a pleasure.” He said trying for a polite and friendly smile, but he only succeeded in looking like he was trying too hard. Ted didn’t seem to mind as he grasped Marco’s hand and gave it a shake. Marco squeezed his hand firmly, nearly flinching in surprise when he was cold to the touch, his skin smooth as though Marco was touching a statue.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk last time… I was…” Ted was making that smiling not smiling face again, his eyes confused.

Marco stared, waiting for him to continue. Ted didn’t and instead changed his sentence.

“Sorry, Lost my train of thought.”

Marco nodded, a little stiffly but he nodded. The entire class was watching them. Marco wondered what kind of reputation Ted had in the school. All of a sudden, he wanted to know badly. Marco pegged him to be The Cool, Mysterious Type. Or maybe The Bad Boy Type. He could imagine either or, especially with the other’s attendance record, so it was hard to tell.

“I’d… like to get to know you better.” Ted confessed, making Marco blush and look away. It wasn’t like he liked Ted or anything! So far, the other teen had been nothing but uncouth to him. So then… Why was he feeling this way…? His heart was fluttering like he was… in love.

Marco’s lips hardened into a firm line.

“Funny. I didn’t get that impression from you before.”

Cruz tilted his head, looking frustrated. Marco was getting homicidal vibes from this boy, not the good kind either. He gulped, and saw Cruz’s eyes flicker to his throat. He suddenly worried that the boy sitting next to him, might not be The Cool Type, or the Bad Boy after all. Maybe he was some sort of serial killer. Some murderer who picked him as his victim. It was Canada, and Canadians were so polite and nice, nobody would expect this out of them in a million years.

“Yes…. And I’m sorry,” Cruz persisted, with pauses between his words that Marco found peculiar yet very enigmatic, "You...caught me at a bad time. A...very, very bad time.”

Marco stared transfixed, wondering what that could possibly mean. Cruz stared back, and they both held each other’s gazes. There was a spark of…. something in the air. Humming, buzzing, it was like electricity. Marco felt the hairs on his arm stand in attention.

This must have been what it felt like to fall in love.

“Look out!” Someone shrieked.

So fast, Marco hadn’t even seen the other boy move, Cruz leaped over and shoved Marco out of the way when one of the lights suddenly exploded, sending one of the ceiling panels falling. Sparks flew, children were screaming.  It hadn’t been the atmosphere but the literal static in the air.

But it took a moment for Marco to gather his thoughts. Cruz was on top of him, pressed so close that he could smell the other’s breath. No, he could _taste_ his breath right there on his tongue. It was sweet, and not overpowering like the scent of mint that lasted after someone had chewed gum. Ted’s breath was like honey, and Marco found himself leaning in. Cruz stared down at him, eyes tight. Marco stared back, his fingers tightening on the expensive material of Ted’s jacket.

“How did you move so fast?” Marco breathed.

Cruz’s eyes darkened.

“I don’t… know what you’re talking about, Marco.”

Marco bristled, insulted. Why was Ted covering up what he did? It wasn’t like Marco _cared_ or anything, he just wanted to know.

“Someone call the ambulance!” The teacher called out the door, and Cruz was up and off of him, following after the teacher offering his assistance.

He was so cool

Not that Marco cared of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) bishie - short for bishōnen, or the pretty boy anime trope.


	3. Suave

The hospital visit had been awkward to say the most. Marco was glad to be out of there as soon as he was checked over by one of the doctors. They had given him a band aid for his forehead where he had been hit by falling debris. It wasn’t a terrible wound, and a band aid covered it perfectly. He was heading to the waiting room where his mother would surely be waiting when he ran into none other than Ted Cruz.

Literally, ran into. The smaller man had run into his chest, and nearly fell if it hadn’t been for Ted’s hands. Ted reached out to grab him by the shoulders, steadying him. His eyes flickered to the Band-Aid on his forehead, just above his brow. Marco blushed hotly because it was a Hello Kitty band aid, the doctor had run out of the other normal ones. Ted looked questioning but Marco spoke first.

“Are you following me?” The Cuban demanded.

Ted looked surprised by the accusation but smiled in a manner that looked incredibly fake to Marco.

“Not at all,” He said suavely, "My...father… owns the hospital. I wanted to make sure… you were alright.”

“I’m fine.” Marco insisted,” But I still want to know how you pushed me away so fast.”

Ted’s smile looked more forced.

“Marco…” He said, softly,” You hit your head….You don’t know what you saw.”

“No, I think I know what I saw, Ted.” Marco said, smiling back perfectly and passive aggressively. It was visible in his eyes just how irritated this made him, but Ted wasn’t the only fake person in the world.

“Nobody would believe you.” Ted said, teeth shiny, white, and dangerous.

“Who said I cared enough to tell anyone?” Marco demanded, keeping his smile though his brows pulled together in anger.

Before Ted could answer a voice cut in.

“Mijo! I am so glad you are okay- Oh? Who is this?” Marco’s mother stopped. Marco’s face heated up as he slowly realized Ted had yet to let him go. He stepped back immediately. The last thing he wanted was to give his mother the impression that he was one of the gays. He was not a gay, but a catholic believer of course. He firmly believed that homosexuality was a sin, and though other people could practice the act if they wanted to it didn’t mean he was going to follow.

“Hello. You must be Ms. Rubio. I’m… Ted. A… friend of Marco’s.” The Canadian introduced himself cooly. Marco’s mother grinned.

“Hijito! I did not know you made a friend! Why didn’t you tell me? He has a hard time making friends you know,” She told Ted, much to Marco’s dismay,” I keep telling him and telling him to-”

“Ma! Don’t tell him stuff about me! We’re not friends.” Marco said adamantly, not swayed by Ted’s cool introduction,” We barely know each other.”

Marco’s Mother sighed and shook her head.

”And _this_ is why you have no friends!” She said as Marco began walking out, heading toward the Hospital Exit to go find his mother’s car. She apologized to Ted, because he seemed like such a nice boy. Then she followed Marco out and got into the driver’s seat of the car.

“Marco! That boy was nice! How could you treat him so rudely, that is not how I raised you!” She scolded, making Marco flinch. He never liked disappointing his mom.

“Lo siento, Ma.” Marco rubbed the side of his head, guiltily.

His mother’s face softened and she tilted his chin to look at her, spitting in her hand to fix his hair. Unlike most teenage boys, Marco didn’t pull away, letting her spit comb his hair. It was really disgusting but he loved his mom too much to yank away and hurt her like that.

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay. If you were gone…” She sighed, letting his face go. If Marco was gone, she would be alone for good. This wasn’t said, but they both knew it. He shook his head.

“Ma, it was just the lights. I’m okay. Ted pushed me out of the way actually.” He said, lifting a hand to the Hello Kitty Bandaid on his forehead.

This of course, made his mother even more horrified with Marco’s attitude toward Cruz, and he got an earful the entire way home. One would think he would have been spared the tongue lashing due to the fact that he was injured but no… This was not the case.

So the next day, he plopped down next to Cruz in Government, the air from his jacket deflating as usual. Class was being held in a different room for a while, until their usual classroom was repaired. 

“My mom is making me apologize to you.” He told the other boy with a begrudging, but quiet frown.

“You… _were_ rather rude to me, Marco.” Ted agreed with his fake smile. Marco could not muster up the energy to return the superficiality.

“Well?” Ted asked,”I’m waiting for that apology.”

Marco frowned louder, and narrowed his eyes. Did he dare disobey his mother? But what did he have to apologize for? He was just returning the politeness he was given from Cruz thus far. The man was not civil. He straightened up to his full height, which did not in any way match up to Ted’s but it made Marco feel better.

“Comadreja.” Marco muttered darkly, feeling superior in a smug fashion, knowing that Ted could not possibly know the insult. Simply because he had the name Cruz, could not mean that he actually spoke Spanish.

However Ted surprised him.

“Excuse me?” The other boy raised his brows,”Do you have something to say to me? Go ahead, say it, be up front, Marco. En español tambien si quieres.”

It was accented, clearly he was out of practice, but he understood. Marco stared at him challengingly. That’s when the bell rang, and Cruz stood up, first one out like always. Kasich approached Marco’s table, just like always.

“You and Cruz looked like you were fighting.” He commented casually.

Marco, for the life of him, could not remember who this boy speaking to him was. He cleared his throat and nodded, confusedly as if he knew this kid.

“No… We were just having a disagreement.” Marco told him, trying to recall his name. It was something like Josh? He couldn’t quite remember, but he followed him to the next class anyway.

When Lunch rolled around, Marco sat next to Josh like he always did, ignoring the gossip and talk like always. Instead, he looked across the lunch hall, towards Ted who stared back, his eyes dark. He always sat alone, like a lone wolf. Today he was staring intently at Marco though.

“-you taking to the dance, Marco?”

Marco was pulled out of his thoughts by the girl, Kelly Ayotte, who suddenly spoke his name. He blinked a few times, not having known there was a dance in the first place. He looked off to the side, to Ted, but the other boy was looking away already.

“Ted? Good luck asking him.” The girl said, getting the idea that Marco wanted to ask him of all people, "He's too good for everyone here or something. He’s never so much as looked at another person- boy or girl. He’s kind of the Perfect Type of this school. Smart, well dressed, suave but unattainable. Sigh.”

Marco froze, clenching his fists in anger. Perfect Type? That was supposed to be him! He got perfect grades! He got perfect attendance! He had the looks! Ted couldn’t just steal that from him like that so effortlessly!

Our young Protagonist looked at the girl, slightly baffled.

“What about me?” He asked her.

“...Uhm, what about you?” She said back.

“I’m not the perfect type?” He demanded, looking distressed and upset.

“Marco, that jacket and all those sweaters make you look like a marshmallow,” Carson said sympathetically,” And you look nervous half the time. You’re not cut out to be The Perfect Type “

“Yeah, and with the way you act around Cruz,” Kasich said, having seen them become heated on multiple occasions, once before the lights had fallen and the second time not even ten minutes ago,” I think you’re more of a tsundere.”

Marco froze.

Tsundere?

Nothing anybody had ever said about him could be more and utterly wrong than this was. Hardly anything Marco had ever done matched this description of him. Of course, occasionally he would be a little harsh toward Kasich, but this was only because he forgot who he was sometimes.

Marco felt his reputation shatter.

Worst of all, he could see Cruz smirking from across the cafeteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The word Suavely may not seem like much to you, but shout out to this [old smallville fanfic](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1250415/1/Clark-and-Lex%20) that I read when I was eleven and new to the internet. #NoRegrets.
> 
> 2) Comadreja - Just means Weasel.
> 
> 3) Tsundere - what one would describe as 'male borderline.' Funfact, I had no idea what male borderline meant until now.


	4. A Date is Set

The next day, Marco had shown up to school without his coat, jacket, or sweaters, despite his mother’s protests. He was wearing a short-sleeved, polyester, black shirt and jeans. While he no longer resembled a marshmallow, he did look like he was going to freeze to death. His lips were turning blue and his teeth were chattering the whole ride to school. The lady steering the bus looked vaguely annoyed.

“You want something from the lost and found?” She finally asked when they were halfway to school. Marco shook his head though. He didn’t want another child’s dirty sweater. He settled on folding his arms across his chest, trying to control his tremoring.

When they got to school, Marco was reluctant to step out of the bus. Unfortunately, this made the driver impatient, and he was unceremoniously kicked out. He stood there in front of the bus stop, nearly vibrating from the cold. He coughed into his fist.

“You look... cold.” spoke a smooth, suave sounding voice. Marco gasped and turned around, keeping his arms folded across his chest.

“C-Cruz.” He narrowed his eyes at the other boy, speaking through his chattering, ”C-Come to g-gloat?”

“Actually… I came to ask you something…” Ted replied, looking puzzled, "Why… would I be gloating?”

Perfect, The Ace, Golden Boy. Marco was annoyed he was pretending he hadn't heard the conversation that took place yesterday. Or maybe he really hadn’t heard the conversation. Maybe Ted just liked doing that smile but not quite a smile thing. Maybe Marco was imagining things, just as easily as he could have imagined Ted moving at a speed of inhuman proportions.

No. That couldn’t be it.

“W-What were you g-going to ask me?” Marco changed the subject.

“I was going to ask if… you were going to the dance… But now I want to know what you were thinking about before…” Ted answered, doing his smile thing.

“A-Are you s-smiling o-or frowning?” Marco blurted out.

“What?” Ted asked, expression dropping all together.

“S-Sometimes I c-can’t tell if you’re smiling or y-you’re frowning.” Marco managed to get out, suddenly embarrassed. Why did he say that?

Ted sighed and shrugged out of his jacket, slipping it over Marco’s shoulders. It wasn’t warmed by Ted’s body heat, Marco guessed that it was because the other boy ran cold or something. He hugged it to himself.

“You look cuter as a marshmallow than freezing to death.” Ted muttered, buttoning it up for him. Marco gaped at what he just said, unable to stop his eyes from widening.

Cute? What? Where did this come from?

“What?!” He asked stunned.

“Oh… That’s right… I was going to ask you. You know that dance coming up?” Ted asked making Marco get flustered.  


“Are you messing with me?” He demanded, "Stop it! I’m sick and tired of your games. You should have just let the ceiling panels crush me if you were just going to be a jerk to me later. Augh! I can’t believe I found you attractive, you have a face not even a mother would love.”

Ted stared at him, and suddenly glared so coldly, Marco felt like Death itself was groping him from behind. Ted’s fingers tightened into the lapels of the coat, making the fabric squeak in his harsh grip.

“You think I should have let you get electrocuted?” He demanded, making Marco shrink into the loaned coat, making himself smaller than he actually was. It was a shame too, because it wasn’t as if Marco was as tall as Cruz too. Though, it was kind of funny that Ted was more upset about the prospect of him getting electrocuted than the insult Marco had flung at him.

“Well, I wouldn’t _want_ to be electrocuted.” Marco said. He didn’t think anyone particularly wanted to be electrocuted. He avoided eye contact with Cruz, waiting for him to let go.

When he did, Marco took a step back, smoothing out the wrinkles Ted’s grip left.

“I… If anything happened to you, Marco… I wouldn’t be able to handle it.” The upperclassman confided, making Marco look up at him with bright eyes. He didn’t know what Ted was trying to say exactly. Marco wasn’t like that. He just wasn’t.

“I thought you hated me.” Marco said with a small blush creeping up the back of his neck and to his cheeks whose color was stolen by the cold.

“I don’t… I thought you didn’t like _me_.” Ted said dryly.

“I don’t.” Marco agreed, flashing him a passive aggressive smile, making Cruz roll his eyes. He put a hand on the small of Marco’s back, walking him inside.

“Anyway, you keep getting me sidetracked. I was wondering… if you weren’t going to the dance that is… If you wouldn’t mind helping me out with my Spanish.” Ted looked sheepish, in a way Marco thought was totally fake, "I'm a little bit out of practice….”

“I just said I didn’t like you,” Marco said with a huff of incredulous laughter, "Where do you get off asking me for help? What makes you _think_ I’ll help?”

“That’s not very polite, Marco…” Ted said, mock disapprovingly, "What would your mother say? Besides… I gave you the jacket. You owe me.”

Marco’s cheeks tinged red with anger.

“Leave my mother out of this. And you can keep your jacket.” He hissed, drawing attention now that they were in the hallway.

“No… You. You’ll freeze to death. I’d rather you didn’t die on me.” Cruz said, eyes tight.

“Fine…” Marco sighed.

“What was that?” Cruz asked, a little too smugly for Marco’s liking.

“Fine,” Marco sighed louder, "I'll help you with your Spanish.”

Marco took his seat in his first period class, Cruz following just shortly after, flashing Marco a smile.

“It’s a date then.”


	5. A Revelation

People were staring at him oddly.

Maybe they thought Marco wouldn’t notice for whatever reason but he did. It started just after he left his first period class for his next class, Calculus. He could feel their eyes on him, and his ears picked up on hushed whispers too faint to make out into words. He could only hear the-

“Is that… Ted Cruz’s jacket?”

Marco gasped, startled, at the voice that broke him out of his heavy inner monologue. It was Kasich. He had been following Marco to their second period class as per usual, squinting at the unfamiliar yet oh so familiar jacket. Marco hadn’t realized he had been there the whole time.

Before Marco could say anything, Kasich began speaking again, giving him his quite frankly unsolicited opinions.

“You know Marco, for someone who claims to not like Cruz, you’re kind of bad at showing it. I mean, you both stare at each other from across the cafeteria for at least half of lunch, in every conversation with him or about him you blush, and you’re even wearing his jacket right now for crying out loud. Maybe you just can’t recognize what everyone else can and you’re just dismissing what you really feel for Ted as dislike-” Kasich paused when he heard sniffling,”-Are you… smelling his jacket right now?”

Marco stared at John, defensively. He had turned his head to get a quick whiff of the unfolded collar of the jacket, having detected a sweet smell. It wasn’t anything weird to try and guess a cologne scent. He didn’t see the big deal.

“No,” Marco simply said, fixing the collar of his jacket, "What were you saying?”

Kasich sighed as he walked into the calculus classroom. Marco took his seat next to him once inside, getting his books out, thinking over his agreement with Ted. He wondered what it could possibly mean that Ted had asked him of all people for help. He was sure there were more people who spoke the language. He and Cruz never really saw eye to eye, so why would Ted ask him? It was baffling.

In any case, Marco certainly did not like him.

“Marco, please do question seven from last night’s homework up on the boar-”

“I _don’t_ like Ted Cruz!” Marco finally exploded, standing up dramatically, chair scraping back with the force of the declaration and from how he pushed it back when standing. But mostly from how he pushed it back when standing. He was tired of all the stares, the judgment, the objectification.

However, nobody had been staring at him.

They were now though, especially the teacher who awkwardly cleared her throat.

“That’s… nice, Marco.” She said before calling on someone else instead. Marco stayed standing though, panting a little from his exclamation. After a few moments he sat down and rested his head on his arm.

He wondered what everyone else saw that he didn’t. What did he do that made them all think he liked Ted? That brought in a different train of thought. What qualities about Ted _did_ Marco like? The young Cuban paused. Well, he liked a lot of Ted’s opinions in Government class, he was really intelligent, never before had Marco ever found someone who agreed with him on many things. He also liked how the other boy spoke. He was an excellent orator, and Marco always found himself transfixed when listening to him speak.

Most of all, the way Ted would look at him sometimes…

Marco flushed.

Then, he realized something. It was a slow, dawning realization that came out of nowhere. Maybe he didn’t hate Ted after all. Sure there were things about the other boy that annoyed him, such as his arrogance and mysteriousness but sometimes it made him look cool.

Marco was hit with an epiphany.

“Maybe…” He whispered to Kasich," I just couldn’t recognize my feelings for Ted and everyone else _could._ And because I couldn’t see what everyone else saw, I dismissed what I _really_ feel for Ted as dislike.”

Kasich stared at him.

He stared really hard

“I’m so glad I finally reached this conclusion. And all on my own too.” Marco said to himself mostly, shaking his head at how naïve he had been.

“Good job, Marco.” John sighed and shook his head, turning back to his book.


	6. What is Said and What is Heard

"Hockey?" Marco questioned not looking very pleased.

It was gym class, and the game they would be playing was hockey. Hockey was not among Marco's top favorite sports to play. It wasn't ice hockey because their little school did not have an ice rink. In fact, most schools did not have ice rinks. So they were playing indoor floor hockey, a sport that Marco had never played.

"You've never played hockey?" asked Kasich, Marco's self appointed best friend and shadow during school hours. Marco did not want to admit his shortcomings and downplayed his inexperience.

"I've played Hockey before," Marco blatantly lied, "I'm just not very good."

It would be a lie to say that Marco was not athletic. He was quite good in football and soccer and would have preferred to play those, if they were even options, but the grass was much too wet to play.

"Well if you know how to play it'll be easy." John said, heading over to face off. Nobody was playing as goalie so the Cuban boy took it upon himself to defend the net.

Which turned out to be a mistake.

The puck was flying, whizzing for the goal. Marco had no time to think, his soccer reflexes kicked in and he lurched forward to head-butt the puck. This was a mistake given that they were playing without head gear. There was a sharp, sudden pain that exploded at his forehead. See, soccer and hockey were very much alike but they differed in certain areas. Once such area was the material with which the object that was passed around was made out of. In other words: Hockey Puck Hard, Soccer ball Softer. Marco fell down onto his back on the gymnasium floor, an angry, red mark  forming dead center on his forehead. He hissed in pain, it felt like his forehead wasn't there anymore and was instead replaced by a cold, throbbing pain.

Everyone crowded around the boy but Kasich was there first, telling everyone to give him room.

"Rubio!" The coach called, suddenly fearing a lawsuit, "Go see the school nurse up in the Administration's office. Someone take him. You, Carson."

Marco was helped up by Ben Carson, and lead out the door. Our young protagonist shook off his helping hand, brushing himself off nervously.

“I’m okay.” He insisted, ignoring the throbbing of his head," I can walk on my own. Just give me a moment.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something, man.” Ben said with a slow smile, as if now of all times was the perfect time to ask. Marco hoped it wasn’t about the dance in three weeks. He had plans. He still wondered why Cruz would schedule a tutoring session three weeks in advance though. It almost seemed like he was trying… to...spend...time with him…

Marco squinted, feeling as though he was missing something.

“Ask me what?” The young Cuban asked, putting a hand to his forehead and wincing. He groaned low in the back of his throat.

“Me and a few other of the people who sit with us at lunch are going camping this weekend. You wanna come? You never really hang out with us.” Ben observed. But this was because Marco did not have the time to hang out.

This was because Marco had just gotten a job at a small restaurant to help his mother with rent money. She got paid well enough, but housekeeping only got them so far and he wanted to help her out with what he could. That meant extra money for groceries, school supplies, and other things. She insisted that he didn’t need to help but like the mama’s boy he was Marco _wanted_ to, not felt like he had to. He hadn’t been socializing with his friends because he was trying to focus on keeping his job.

“I don’t know…” Marco said dubiously. He didn’t have work on the weekend, but he could have been studying. He was kind of a nerd like that. But then he thought about what his mom said about making friends and hesitantly shrugged.

“Okay, yeah. I think I could make it.”

Carson flashed him a thumbs up and they were back on their journey to the nurse’s office. Marco lamented the fact that he had to go at all. He didn’t want to leave school early because that would put a blemish on his perfect attendance record. Sure, it would be an excused absence, but an absence was still an absence after all. Marco leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Is he… alright?” Marco heard the familiar smooth voice of Ted Cruz say, very suavely. Marco opened his eyes to see the other boy standing there, looking at him in what could have been concern if Marco didn’t know any better, particularly at the red blotch that covered the majority of his forehead.

“What are you doing in the Nurse’s office?” Marco asked Ted accusingly before Ben could speak.

Ted held up a note he was ordered to take as explanation.

“Teacher’s errand…” He said mysteriously. Marco didn’t believe him despite the fact that there, on the note in his hand, were words clearly printed that read: From Room PA 23. Marco pursed his lips in suspicion. Room PA was the performing arts building, and he couldn’t see Ted ever picking that for an elective.

“Right…” Marco nodded, not believing him.

“Are you three just gonna take up space in my office or can I help you?” The nurse at the front desk called, getting their attention. Ted took this time to place the note onto the inbox with a nod, but he didn’t leave.

“Gym injury,” Ted explained in concern that Marco felt was faked," I think he needs to go… home.”

Ben frowned. He was going to say that. There was a reason the gym teacher sent him. The Nurse took one good look at Marco and nodded, writing up a note.

“Take this to the attendance office. Do you have a ride home?”

Ben opened his mouth to offer but Ted beat him to it.

“I can… drive him home.” He said with a smile that looked neither happy or sad. It just… was, lopsided and all. Marco thought it was rather handsome despite his irritating face. He discreetly blushed and looked off to the side, aloofly.

“This alright with you?” The nurse asked Marco who acted like he didn’t care. Secretly though, he was dismayed by the prospect of leaving early at all. Even more secretly, he felt pleased that it was going to be Ted who was going to drive him home.

“If that’s my only option I suppose.” Marco said, forcing reluctance into his tone so he wouldn’t seem needy. Ben saw this as an opportunity to offer so that Marco would not have only one option.

“I can drive you-”

“My only option.” Marco sighed again.

“Marco, I have a car to-”

“-I don’t have any other choice other than to ride with Ted because I don’t have a car.” The Cuban shook his head, staring out the window out into the distance dramatically, "Yes Ted, I’ll ride with you.”

Ben stared.

The nurse wrote the note and passed it to Marco who took it and headed over to the attendance office.

“See you Saturday, Carson.” Marco said as he trudged out to the next room.

After getting his absence from the last classes of the day excused, Marco followed Ted to his Car. Up close, it was even shinier than afar if that was possible. Marco felt the intense urge to smear gum all over it. That would be very ungentlemanly though so he would refrain from doing so.

“That looks… terrible.” Cruz noted, referring to his sports injury as he pulled out of the student parking lot. It throbbed as if serving as a reminder,”...How did that happen?”

Marco didn’t want to tell him.

He casually looked away and cleared his throat.

“I was playing hockey.” was all he said.

“No… I know that. How did you manage to have the puck hit you dead center on the forehead?”

“Iheadbuffffedthe.” Marco mumbled quickly.

“I’m sorry?” Cruz asked.

“I head-butted the hockey puck!”

Ted’s brow creased in what Marco thought might have been worry, but he immediately dismissed that. Why would Ted be worried about him? Sure, Marco admitted his feelings to himself, but it was a complete mystery as to what Ted thought about him.

“I… worry about you.” Cruz said, making Marco sigh and shake his head dismissively. Ted was just saying that.

When they got to his apartment, Marco looked over at Ted, unsure of what to say. What should he do? Exiting the car without a proper thank you would be just too rude... 

“Thank you for the ride.” He said, and felt like something was supposed to happen. Ted was leaning in closer to him and Marco could feel himself moving in too. He felt warm all over so suddenly. There was a tightness in his chest that made it so he could not breath, there was a sudden need for something to happen; anything, everything, just not nothing.

“Marco?” Ted whispered, his breath just as sweet as when he was first this close to Marco during the time he had saved his life.

“Y-Yeah?” Marco stuttered accidentally.

“Be careful out in the woods when you go camping… I did mean it… I do worry about you.” Ted said.

“Whatever…” Marco dismissed so he wouldn’t seem clingy but inside his heart was thudding as fast as a humming bird’s. He knew Ted wasn’t really worried, and that he was only saying that out of faked politeness. The other boy could be such a fake sometimes…

Marco got out of the car and headed inside.

Wait. Marco stopped at the door to his apartment complex. How did Ted know he was going camping?

Marco turned to stare in complete confusion at the car driving away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic has just become me picking off tropes from TVTropes.org, a site in which you will never be bored if you visit.


	7. Like The Sun During Winter

"You ready?” Ben asked him when Marco was seated in the back of the van.

Marco shook his head, making Ben pause, wondering if he had forgotten something inside.

Marco buckled his seatbelt.

"Okay.” He said very seriously.

Going on the camping trip with them ended up being more than just the people who sat with them. There was Bernie Sanders, a rather angry (in a passionate way) kid Marco didn’t really know but knew of; Hillary Clinton, a girl who looked like she was wearing a little too much makeup for _just_ a camping trip; Jeb Bush, an awkward quiet kid who usually sat in the back of his Calculus class looking like he was trying not to break down and cry; and Mitt Romney, a nice guy who brought really really expensive things for this camping trip even though initially they were all just going to bring tents, sleeping bags and junk food.

Because of Mitt, they now had a portable generator, portable heaters, a very sleek yet complex looking grill, several couches, a flat screen (which Mitt claimed was okay to bring even though it might get damaged because it was one of the spares anyway), golfing equipment, several steaks and lobsters, and a bear skin rug. A lot of the stuff did not fit in the back, so Romney had his limousine tailing them to their campsite.

Those were just the people that Marco didn't know who were coming along. _Then_ it was himself and the two people he sat with: Ben and John.   
Marco sat next to Bernie, clearing his throat politely.

“Hello, I’m Marco Rubio.” He said, introducing himself politely, extending his hand out to the older boy.  Bernie hadn't been looking at him when Marco reached out his hand but he was now.

"Stop with the formality. Who am I talking to? My grandfather? Yeash." Bernie said, making Marco flinch. He relaxed when Bernie laughed through. He seemed okay, so Marco hesitantly joined him in his laughter, though unsurely. What was Bernie even laughing about? Marco didn't know and stopped laughing, casting a look out the window.

Awkward...

He tried striking up a conversation with Jeb and that worked out pretty well until Marco asked about his family. Marco worried if he crossed the line when Jeb's expression faltered.

"Are you okay?" Marco asked nervously.

"Oh yeah I'm alright! I just don't talk about what a disappointment I am to my family. Why do you ask?" Jeb laughed in a light, forcibly happy tone. His laugh was forced too.  
  
"But... I didn't ask about that."

"Oh." Jeb said, making Marco feel sorry for him a little bit.  
  
It turned out everyone in the vehicle was a freak except for him, Marco thought, sitting up straight due to the tension in the van. Nobody else felt the tension of course, except for Marco. It was like a self inflicted tension of sorts, and the ride to the woods was very awkward for him. Marco was glad to be out once they made it there.   
  
"We should set up the tents." Kasich said.   
  
"Right but we should also all help each other out when setting them up." Bernie said and that's what caused the dispute.   
  
"-Everyone should set up their own tents. Making someone else do it is lazy-"   
  
"-Not everyone can set up their own tents and helping someone isn't doing it for them-."   
  
"-If you can't set up your own tents then you should just sleep outside-"   
  
The arguing kind of annoyed Marco so he wandered off to explore. Unbeknownst to him, someone had followed him. Marco didn't clue in until he heard a snapping of a branch under a foot. The young Cuban boy from Florida shrieked and spun around to see...

Mitt Romney.  
  
"Did you scream like a girl?"   
  
"No," Marco flushed and snapped,"What are you doing following me?"   
  
"The arguing was annoying and I'm waiting for my tent to inflate. I brought an inflatable and an air pump machine." Mitt said nonchalantly,"Everyone should have brought one to avoid fighting."   
  
Marco frowned. He didn't exactly own an inflatable tent... Or an air pump.   
  
"Some people don't have either of those things," Marco told him,"But I do agree that people should at least try to set their own tent up before asking for help."   
  
"If you want though you can stay in my tent." Mitt offered politely but Marco, in kind, politely declined.   
  
"No. I don't accept free help."   
  
"Who said it was free?" Mitt laughed like Marco was naïve,"It's twenty bucks."   
  
Marco paused. He wondered why Mitt was charging if the boy came from a wealthy family but he didn't really object. It was his tent after all.   
  
"I'll have to give it to you when we get back to town. I didn't bring money." Marco said, not wanting to lose his earnings from the restaurant.   
  
"Oh. A debt then. I'll have to raise it to forty then."   
  
Marco was a little bit frustrated then but didn't show it, smiling fakely.   
  
"That's fair. Fine." He said as they walked around the woods. They came to a stop at a pretty looking lake, glazed over by ice too thin to skate on but added to the beauty.   
  
"You've never been here before?" Mitt asked, seeing Marco's awed expression. Marco shook his head, but seeing it now was amazing, even if it was cold and he was a little uncomfortable.   
  
"I think that's the most honest expression I've seen on your face. It's kind of cute." Mitt said making Marco confused.   
  
"What?" He asked, brows pulling together in confusion.   
  
"You're a bit of a fake," Mitt said,"Your smiles, your politeness, and conversation. Nobody else notices but I can see it on your face."   
  
Marco bristled, taking offense to being called a fake by this pretentious guy of all people. What did he know? Mitt didn't know him. Mitt didn't know anything. He was the guy who thought everyone owned expensive TVs and portable generators.   
  
"I'm not fake for trying to be nice!"   
  
"That's the thing though," Mitt said,"You're not trying to be nice. You're trying too hard to be likable, and that's the definition of a fake."

Marco began to sweat in his layers of jackets, heavy sweating, despite the cold. He was being accused of the one thing he hated the most. Fakeness and he could feel himself breaking apart by little pieces. Metaphorically of course because if that were physically happening, Mitt probably wouldn't be looking so casual.  
  
"But that's okay. It makes those rare moments you do genuinely let your feelings show all the more... nicer. It's like seeing the sun during the winter here."   
  
"Are you mocking me?" Marco asked, raising his chin a little to make himself taller than he actually was.   
  
"No. I mean it." Mitt said,"It's better than being a bleeding hearted idiot. Like Sanders"   
  
"Bernie is not a bleeding hearted idiot!" Marco objected defensively.   
  
Mitt stared.   
  
Marco stared back but eventually deflated.   
  
"Okay but just because he has a bleeding heart doesn't make him an idiot..."

Mitt stared harder.   
  
Marco sighed.   
  
"Let's change the subject."   
  
"To what?" Mitt asked as they circled the lake.   
  
"Well you can tell me about local legends. I _am_ new here." Marco reminded and the other teen shrugged   
  
"Well there's one. It's about The Zodiac Killer."


	8. Scary Stories

 "The Zodiac Killer?" Marco asked,"That was the killer behind a series of murders in The United States. How could Canada have an urban legend about him?"

 "Yes, but he was also never caught." Mitt pointed out,"You should let me tell the story first though, before asking your questions."

Marco blinked, his face heating up.

"Sorry."

"No no, It's okay. Haha, you look like a cherry red Corvette. My mom bought me three for Christmas-"

"Can you please just tell me the story," Marco interrupted politely, before Mitt could go on about his many cars like he had been saying on the ride here. Mitt wasn't boastful about it though. He talked about it like it was nothing to have so much money, as if everyone had as much money as he to spare.

"Sorry, I was just trying to say that I think you're endearing when you blush," Mitt explained, making the younger boy's face grow a brighter shade of red,"Because it's something you can't hide so easily and like I said, you're just so lovely in those little moments that you let your guard down."

However, Marco's cheeks were certainly not heating up because he was flattered or anything, his face was totally flushed for being called endearing. Or at least, this is what he told himself, being that he was still getting used to the idea of the slight chance that he may be a little gay for Ted Cruz. Mitt's words pulled at Marco's heartstrings though. It was hard to be irritated with him or even pretend to be for saying such things...

"You shouldn't say such embarrassing things..." Marco cleared his throat,"People could get the wrong idea."

"Yes..." The other teen pursed his lips consideringly,"But I might want them to get the wrong idea."

Marco was silent for a few moments and so Mitt went on:

"So, I know this might come as a shock to you but my parents are kind of wealthy. I usually don't tell anyone though because I want to have real friends rather than people who only keep me as company because I have so much money. That's why I wear poor clothes."

But Mitt didn't look like he was wearing poor clothing at all. In fact, his clothes looked as if they could have come off the rack from a regular clothing store.

"I… hadn't… noticed," Marco said warily,"What does this have to do with the story?"

"My family is part of a group. A council if you will."

"A council of rich people?"

"Yes. If you will." Mitt said gravely, and very seriously,"Every rich person knows each other. Family to Family. The council goes back even further than my grandfather.

"But during my grandfather's time, people around this town began to go missing, found dead in the same manner the Zodiac's victims were found. People began to think that maybe he fled here. Coincidentally, It began around the same time a new rich family came to town."

"Who?"  Marco breathed dramatically, eyes wide as he listened, fascinated.

"The Cruz family. Rafael Cruz Sr, Rafael Jr, and Rafael Jr Jr," Mitt said,"It didn't take long for the council to connect the two instances. A new, mysterious rich family moving in and a string of murders starting up... What were the odds? The Cruz's came to them wanting to join the council for appearances sake, as they too were wealthy. But my grandfather and the others confronted them."

"What happened?" Marco asked.

"They were allowed to join on the condition that they didn't kill anymore people... Scary huh? Especially since Ted Cruz goes to our school."

"But Ted can't be the Zodiac Killer," Marco laughed at such a silly thought,"He's too young! That's like saying Jeb's brother did 9/11..."

"That's the thing about the Cruzs. Legend has it... That they're..."

Mitt paused for a full five minutes.

Marco felt the hairs on his arms stand in anticipation

"Vampires..." Mitt breathed.

Marco gulped, his mind sent whirling with thoughts. What if the Legend was true? He thought about every look that the boy had given him, all the casual touches, and the fact that he had claimed to be "concerned" about him supposedly.

What if Ted wanted to kill him? Marco paled, feeling a little fright shoot up his spine. What if he was just being toyed with before being eaten. What if he had only been saved... Because Cruz just wanted his blood?

"Marco?"

Marco felt Mitt's hand shaking him, and he realized that he and Mitt had stopped walking now. Mitt was looking a little worried but his eyes were laughing.

"It's just a story though, Marco. Like I said, it's a legend, fiction, and completely illogical." Mitt said reassuringly,"Did it really scare you?"

Marco was still pale and he thought about denying the fact that he was scared, but what Mitt had said about being fake echoed in his head. So he thought, just this once it would be okay to be honest. He nodded and Mitt threw an arm around his shoulders, steering him back to the campsite.

"Don't worry. Even if it wasn't fantasy you don't have to be afraid. It turns out, Legend also has it that my family are descendants from _Werewolves_ , the enemy of Vampires." The older boy chuckled, obviously humored by that. Marco chuckled too, an image of Mitt turning into a huge furry dog making him laugh harder.

That was silly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Funfact: I was originally going to have a democrat as jacob seeing as reds and blues hate eachother and all that but im rubney garbage now so  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> 2\. I did digging and found out that Ted has a grandfather and Father who's name were both Rafael which would make Ted the III or what I'd like to call (because its more fun) Jr Jr
> 
> 3\. Team Tedward or Team Mittcob?


	9. Research and Rescue

Marco had arrived home on Sunday Afternoon.

He had exchanged numbers with Mitt so that he could text him later and when he got home he found that his mom wasn't home from work yet. Sighing, Marco trudged to his room, pulling off his pants and shirt, flopping down onto his bed in his boxers. Maybe a nap.

But sleep did not come so easily for our young protagonist, as horrifying visions swam behind his eyelids; bloody gore like fangs that could tear throats, puncturing veins and arteries to drain blood in a slow and painful process, his own death, and even worse The Count from Sesame Street all making it impossible to even begin to rest. Marco gave up and sat up, pulling out his computer instead.

The Google Search box stared back at him, and Marco slowly typed in one word: Vampire. It took a second to load and suddenly there were all sorts of links. One however, stood out the most.

"Small Twink," Marco read aloud from the description,"gets impaled by huge Vampire dic- Oh!"

He slammed the laptop shut, his face _burning_. That's not what he'd been looking for at all! Actually, Marco didn't know what he himself was looking for. Though, he was sure it wasn't that.

He'd have to do research the old fashion way then. It was decided. Marco got dressed, put on his shoes, and went outside heading to the direction of the library. He was wearing some random article of clothing he had bought on the airport on the way here...

Unfortunately the Library was closed on Sundays. When he got there, Marco stood outside, staring blankly at the closed doors. He wasn't angry. Not even a little bit. He was just _done_.

The Cuban boy took a seat on the steps, arms resting on his knees. So doing research wasn't going to work, and he didn't know anyone else he could ask. He could have asked Mitt via text but then it would reveal that Marco was still thinking about that story and he didn't want to seem too interested in both the story and Romney. That was just desperate. Can't be too thirsty.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when something hit him on the head where his ceiling panel and hockey injury was still healing. He winced and looked up, rubbing his forehead. It was a dollar and a few quarters, chucked carelessly at him by some passing woman.

"I'm not homeless!" He called indignantly but kept the money anyway. He took the crinkled and folded bill (to donate to a homeless shelter properly later)  but paused when he spotted a shady looking man across the street. He stood out from other pedestrians because he was looking straight at Marco.

The man belonged to a biker gang of sorts because he nudged his buddy and all of his friends looked at Marco too. The teen stood up cautiously when the gang began stalking over to them. His nervousness made him back up into the closed doors rather than run away, not a smart decision. He had nowhere to run. Of course, because of the traffic, it took time for the men to make it over to Marco's street. He could have taken the time to run then because he had the time too.

His inner monologue made him too late.

"You picked the wrong team to support, Eh!" One of the guys shouted as he brandished his metal hockey stick. Marco didn't even have the metaphorical mental space to wonder where he pulled the stick from if they had all been riding bikes...

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Marco shouted with the same righteous fury of a shounen hero when objecting to an injustice. But he failed in trying to calm whatever had angered them, however that only spurred him on more to shout:

"I don't even like hockey! Nobody does! Being upset over teams is not a good reason to hurt someone! Did... Did you even stop to think about how the opposing side would feel? You didn't even consider that they'd might be as hurt as you! All this pain and suffering... And for what?"

Sparkling tears ran down Marco's cheeks, falling onto the pavement ground in slow motion, darkening the concrete. The men faltered, clearly hit deeply by Maro's words.

"All for Hockey... " Marco balled his hands into fists, causing a clenching noise to sound like leather or something when he did.

"Your words cut deep, kid..." One of the men said, wiping his own eyes before continuing darkly,"But you can't change decades of hate... Our teams have always hated each other..."

"Plus he's wearing a Bulldog's Shirt! Get him!" The guy with the hockey stick shouted. Marco looked down at his clothing in horror and realized that the shirt he had purchased at the airport had been a hockey T-Shirt.

Suddenly, cutting off the men from attacking him, was a Ted's shiny Volvo, skidding to a stop in front of Marco with a loud screech even though they were all standing on the sidewalk. Ted threw open the passenger door with such skill considering he was in the Driver's side. The door hit a streetlamp with a metallic clang, but nobody was paying attention to that.

"Get in..."  Ted commanded in a stern tone.

Marco had no objections and slid in quickly, his heart hammering like... something that hammered. He took several breaths to trying to calm himself and saw Ted doing the same.

"I had it handled." Marco said but Ted didn't answer, he only kept driving.

"I don't need charity help, what were you even doing following me?" Marco demanded again, buckling his seatbelt.

"I... was worried...about you. Bad things seem...to keep happening around you." Ted's eyes briefly flickered to Marco's forehead. It was then Marco was reminded of why he had to be worried. Vampire.

He swallowed thickly.

He was alone in a car with a man who might or might not have been a Vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Marco just has bad luck with hockey
> 
> 2) marco sounds a lil 'bleeding hearted' because i forgot this was supposed to be an anime au too where people shout five episode long monologues at their enemy before an actual fight.


	10. The Truth is Out!

"I didn't need help," Marco protested weakly.

"They were... going to hurt you." Ted shook his head, fingers clenching on the steering wheel,"Pay me back later if you want... Are you hungry?"

"No," Marco said to avoid becoming more indebted to him but his stomach growled.

"We can eat... at the next restaurant we see." Ted compromised, a little more calm than before. Marco had yet to calm down, but this wasn't because he was feeling residual terror from almost getting jumped by hockey fans. He nodded quickly, changing his mind, deciding that having a place with witnesses and cameras was safer.

Ted drove passed McDonald's and Burger King, stopping at a little Italian Restaurant, even though he said they would stop at the next restaurant which had been those two fast food places. Marco didn't question it. He didn't want to eat McDonalds.

"You don't have to pay me back in money for this." Ted said,"You can pay me back with a... favor later."

Marco shrugged and walked inside, taking a seat with Ted. The waitress came and introduced herself, took an order for their drinks, before setting down two menus and leaving. Her name was Scarlet Clover and she batted her long lashes at Ted a little too much. Marco knew damn well why that discomforted him but he pretended he didn't because it made him feel better.

"How are you... feeling?" Ted asked him, making Marco feel even more nervous. This looked an awful lot like a date. A date... and with Ted Cruz no less, the probable Zodiac Killer. The Cuban boy cleared his throat and nodded with a fake smile.

"Good. Thank you for helping me back there."

The waitress came back with their drinks, two waters, which Marco immediately took when offered. He began drinking it at an alarming pace, trying not to sweat bullets.

"Is he okay?" The waitress whispered to Ted as Marco began gulping down his drink due to his nerves.

"Just fine. Do you... think we could get a little more time to order?" Cruz asked smoothly and the woman nodded, heading to the back. Marco continued to chug.

"Maybe you should...slow down..." Cruz suggested but it was too late. Marco had finished the entire cup and he now felt really sick. He put a hand to his mouth, feeling nausea creep up on him.

"Are you-" Ted was about to ask, but couldn't finish because Marco threw up into his lap, all water from having chugged it down too fast. Ted looked disgusted and Marco choked and coughed. Ted shoved aside his disgust quickly, slapping him on the back to help get him through his spluttering.

The waitress returned with a bounce in her step, ready to get their orders but she froze. She stood there, her eyes flickering back and forth between Cruz's lap darkened damp with water that Marco spat up, and Marco's hunched and panting form too. She was immediately disgusted, getting the wrong idea.

"Sirs, this is a restaurant. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Their pictures were taken and put on the wall and they were told not to come back. Marco stood outside the restaurant embarrassed, he shot a nervous look at Ted.

"I'm sorry I got us kicked out." He mumbled, heading back to the car. Ted put a hand on his back, opening the passenger door for him. He didn't even look a little displeased that his pants were ruined. Of course not... He was rich.

"It's not... your fault. You're probably in shock..." Ted excused making Marco's eyes shift to the side, unable to look at him.

Night had fallen so quickly, Marco almost let himself be lulled to sleep by the humming of Cruz's car, but he fought to keep his eyes open. He was afraid to sleep because if he shut his eyes, it could be the last time he ever did.

But maybe, Marco didn't mind. He felt heat creep to his cheeks. Maybe that was a good way to die, because Marco had never given thought to how the end would come and dying by Ted Cruz's hand didn't seem so bad.

"That... drives me crazy you know." He heard Ted speak up.

Marco's eyes flashed to him.

"What?"

"That I... can't tell what you're thinking." Ted said, with alluring pauses in between his words.

"Most people can't read minds." Marco agreed, mentally scrutinizing him. How dare he interrupt his inner monologue? Though, his inner monologue is what almost got Marco beat up in the first place...

There were several beats of tense silence.

"Can you read minds?" Marco finally asked, watching Ted's expressions.

"Not... yours." The probable Zodiac killer confided, making Marco's heart pick up speed again. He swallowed, Mitt's urban legend seeming more and more true.

"Those hockey fans." He guessed, throat tight due to nerves.

Cruz nodded pulling up on the shoulder of the road where there was more dirt. He took a deep breath, and sat there, unable to look at Marco. But that was a good thing because he probably couldn't handle Ted's staring.

"How old are you?" Marco asked tentatively

"Seventeen..." Ted said, still not looking

"How long have you been seventeen?"

"...Awhile..."

"I know what you are..." The protagonist murmured,"You're pale white...and ice cold... You don't go out into the sunlight..."

"Say it..." Ted urged, fingers tightening on the wheel,"Say it... out loud."

"The Zodiac." Marco breathed.

"Is... that it?" Cruz asked a little harshly for no good reason.

"You're a Vampire. That's how you were able to commit all those murders even though you weren't even supposed to be born." Marco finished.

"Are you... afraid?" Ted finally looked at him, his eyes smoldering.

Marco shook his head

"You... should be." Ted hissed, getting out of the car. Marco tensed but Ted dragged him out of the passenger side anyway, letting him go but because he had been unprepared to be jerked out, Marco lost his balance and fell on the dirt floor.

"Listen to me... I _could_ kill you. What... What part of that do you not understand?"

"You can't hurt people anymore though. Mitt told me about the council. Don't hurt him through, he thinks it's a silly urban legend." Marco said nervously.

"Well it's true. I'm not allowed to hurt people but it doesn't mean that I _can't_."

"What do you eat now then?" Marco wondered and Ted looked ashamed. He popped open the trunk of his nice Volvo to reveal containers and containers of thick looking red liquid.

"Blood." Marco breathed.

"No," Ted shook his head," I needed a substitute and the closest thing I could find... was Campbell's Chunky Tomato soup. That's why my eyes are gold and not red."

The tomato-y stench of the soup finally reached Marco's nose and the boy nodded.

 "I don't think it's your fault. You didn't ask to be this way. It's not your fault this is the only thing you can eat."

Ted looked like he wanted to break down and weep and Marco knew in his heart of hearts that that's all Ted needed to be told. That it wasn't his fault and that he was a good person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) on crubio smut: there was no sex scene in Twilight until Breaking Dawn and I don't have it in me to make a parody of all four books   
> forgive me fellow sinners <3


	11. Acts Committed for Friendship

Ted had driven Marco home from there even if his apartment was within walking distance. It turned out that Ted drove like the lord almighty was after him, because he had driven fast and Marco noticed, clutching the seat in a death grip. But he didn't say anything, wanting to be cool.

They got to his house at 12:30 pm and Marco unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Thank you." Rubio said.

Cruz glanced at the nail imprints left in the couch's leather material. He looked back at Marco and nodded, leaning in closer. Marco felt a heavy feeling of deja vu from the first time Ted had driven him home.

"Stay very still..." Ted whispered, only a hair's breath away,"I want to try something..."

Marco stood stone still, tensed as Ted's lips barely brushed his-

The car door opened behind Marco, and he went tumbling out onto the pavement.

"Do you know what time it is?!" Mama Rubio asked furiously, slamming the door in Ted's face. She dragged Marco home by the ear.

"When I let you go camping with your little friends I didn't give you permission to be home past midnight when tomorrow you have school!" She shut the door and pulled out his laptop. She opened it to reveal Porn Hub's Webpage.

"And what is this?!" She demanded.

"Ma! I-" Marco opened his mouth to protest.

"I don't want to hear it. To your room!" She said and because he was a mama's boy, Marco had no choice.

He trudged to his room and slammed the door.

"Did you just slam the door young man?!"

"No!" He shouted back, mortified. Now Ted would never think he was cool...

"I'm sorry... that I got you in trouble." spoke a silky suave voice behind Marco and and whipped around to see...

Ted!

"It's no problem." Marco said awkwardly only to gasp all of a sudden when a pair of lips slammed against his, Ted's hands gripping his shoulders, keeping him at a distance.

Marco couldn't breathe at first. Slowly he kissed him back, eyes shutting but when he tried to deepen it, Ted pulled away.

 "What?" Marco breathed.

"I...It's very hard to be around you..." Cruz said with a pained look.

"Your blood... It's like a drug to me..."

"My blood?" Marco breathed," _Only_ my blood?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Marco said and moved to remove his shoes. He didn't look at Ted. He couldn't, heart pounding loudly. This was it. The final proof that Marco was gay. Even a little bit.

Marco twitched.  

"Will you stay?" The teen asked nervously,"Stay the night?"

Ted did stay the night.

 

.

The next morning, Marco awoke in Cruz's arms.

He couldn't help but wonder how this happened. It was crazy how things ended up. He started off hating this punchable teenager and now he liked this tomato juice drinking, former Zodiac Killer.

"What are you thinking about?" Ted whispered in that annoying way Male leads said in romantic movies but Marco found attractive anyway.

"You." Marco whispered back, in that annoying way secondary leads said to their partners in romantic movies. It was all quite cheesy actually.

"Your mom left for work. She was... still mad." Ted said making the other boy sigh.

"Mhm..." Marco went to get his daily morning cereal and found that it was misplaced. He looked around the counter to check if he had left a box on the counter.

"You ate it all before you left for your camping trip." Ted explained and Marco stared at him.

"How did you...?"

"I... watched you."

Well that was awkward and most definitely something you didn't admit on the first date.

"I watched you too," Marco blurted out, surprising Ted. The probable centuries older boy stared at him, baffled and Marco stared back.

Wasn't that a turn of events?

They both waited, watching each other, waiting to see if the other would admit to when exactly they had been doing their spying.

"I watched you walk home and spied on you in your sleep. You said my name and called me Daddy." Ted admitted in one breath at the same time Marco blurted out:

"I wanted to know if you really did take Performing Arts so I followed you to your theatre class and saw you lick a booger off your lip when you thought nobody was looking!"

There was another very awkward beat of silence. Marco cleared his throat awkwardly and offered a bargain.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't?"

 

.

They did not end up telling anyone.

Nobody even had a clue that they were dating-

"Are you and Ted Cruz dating?" Carson asked him one day during gym during the fifth week he and Cruz had been seeing each other.

"Why do you ask that?" Marco chuckled, eyes shifting from side to side.

"You haven't been sitting with us these past few weeks, just with him, and he gives you a ride to and from school. Also I saw him feeding you a pizza yesterday and you hold hands in between passing periods."

Damn it! How could they have caught on? Marco mentally cursed. They had been so painstakingly careful... His friends were smarter than he gave them credit for.

"And everyday after lunch you give him a kiss goodbye." Ben finished his list.

Oh well, it didn't matter how they could have possibly figured it out. Maybe he and Ted had slipped up somewhere, maybe they were just too observant, whatever. They still had to keep up the charade because their reputations were both on the line.

"We're not dating." Marco denied.

"Okay." Ben shrugged in an easygoing manner and was then hit in the face with a dodgeball.

It was dodgeball day.

After that, Marco had done some real hard thinking and decided that Carson had a point. He never sat with his friends anymore. So that day during lunch he stood at Ted's table.

"Hey can we go sit with my friends?"

Ted smile frowned and waved a hand.

"Go on without me... I'll be fine here."

"What? Why don't you want to sit with them?"

"I..." Ted paused,"I'm just not comfortable."

Marco stared for a moment before heading over to his table. Everyone stopped talking, immediately eyeing him. The Cuban boy began to sweat from the scrutiny.

"Sorry... I haven't been sitting with you guys. I was trying to get Ted to sit here too-"

"Ted Cruz... doesn't sit here." Mitt (a new addition to their table) said ominously.

Marco heard the sound of lightning crack from behind them and everyone turned around to look out the window. It turned out, it hadn't been lightning, the janitor had just dropped a big metal  garbage can.

"Why not?" Marco asked curiously.

"The school is divided. Mitt's dad, like, owns one half of the school and Cruz's dad owns like the other half." Hillary said,"It's divided at the Cafeteria. They never cross sides..."

That explained why Marco hadn't interacted or had even heard of Mitt until the second half of this fanfiction even though they went to the same school and were in the same grade...

"That makes sense," Marco agreed but then paused.

"Wait. You can't own a school."

 

.

It turned out that you couldn't own the school and it wasn't as ominous as Mitt had made it out to be. Mitt and Ted unofficially owned the school because of contributions their dads made or something like that. Marco wasn't sure but there was this spot in the center of the cafeteria where the lights flickered and because it was in the middle, nobody was bothering to change it. It was really really annoying.

But it was a good thing that Marco had gotten back in touch with his friends after practically ignoring them for weeks and not returning their calls. They didn't even seem to mind that they'd become second place next to Cruz. It was an accomplishment in itself that Marco finally remembered John Kasich's name.

With friendship restored, that same afternoon, Ted drove Marco to his place after work. This was because for the past few weeks Cruz had been spending time with Marco at his apartment and now he wanted to invite the other boy to his home.

At first Marco was a bit nervous being alone with him but he got over it. He thinks... that maybe he might love-

"We're here." Ted said, getting out of the car. Marco marveled at the mansion. Ted didn't live in some house, it was like an entire estate. Marco stood stock still until Ted pulled him along.

But then all of a sudden, Marco's boyfriend stilled. His face went blank.

"What?" Marco asked but Ted shushed him.

"It's... Others... Like me." Ted said gravely.

Of course. How could Marco not have reached that conclusion himself? Obviously if Ted was a vampire there were others like him...

Ted began breathing on him heavily. Marco shoved him back (unsuccessfully).

 "What are you doing? I'm not into that!"

"I have to disguise your scent so they don't smell that you're human."

"Oh," Marco said dumbly,"Carry on."

Ted continued breathing on him and Marco held very still until a splash of something got into his eye.

"You spit in my eye!" He hissed and clutched right eye, stinging from the Vampire venom in Ted's mouth.

"Marco there's no time for that. Let me see your other eye. If they're red they're less likely to suspect you're human!"

"It burns!'

"Are we interrupting something?"

Almost as if in synch, Ted and Marco turned around to see-

"Ronald Reagan?" Marco gasped,"40th president of the United States? You're a Vampire?"

"That's right Marco." Ronald Reagan confirmed with a slow, sadistic smile.

"How did you know my name?" Marco asked warily.

"Because Marco, I'm the President, I know everyone's name. That and I overheard you and Ted talking. So I also know you're not a vampire."

"I can be," Marco said,"If I tried."

"Enough of this. Enough. I've had just about enough of all of this. All of it. I want his blood. His blood is what I want." said the second man next to Ronald Reagan. He was a large man who was balding but he had a tupé and was unnaturally orange for a Vampire.

"These are his final moments, Donald. Let Marco enjoy them while he can. We'll have his blood soon enough." Regan said pleasantly.

Ted stood in front of Marco protectively.

"I won't let you." Ted snarled and then out of nowhere there was a sound of a fuse being ignited. A Molotov Cocktail flew through the air and slammed into the Undead former president's head then promptly exploded.

He screamed as he went down in flames. Donald looked over to the source of where the Molotov Cocktail had been thrown.

And there, standing just a little ways away, were Marco's friends! Everyone was there. Kasich, Mitt, Carson, and even Jeb who looked like he wanted to cry from solely being there

Marco had tears in his eyes.

"Guys? You're here..."

"What's the big idea. The big idea I say- I say." Donald hissed but was sprayed down with rubbing alcohol from water guns. Before he had time to react, Jeb lit a match at threw it at him, setting him on fire.

"Vaya Con Dios..." He said darkly as Donald screamed and burned.

Dead.

Both of them

"How did you guys know that we needed help?" Marco wondered, wiping his eyes.

"The power of friendship." Kasich said, wiping off his water gun.

"How did you know that fire killed Vampires?" Ted asked.

"Psh, vampires aren't real..." Mitt chuckled like that was silly.

They all laughed, and Marco tried not to think too hard about the fact that his friends were all willing enough to incinerate two humans to death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) i thought it was lame how bella kinda ditched her friends when she started dating edward.
> 
> 2) this is an anime au so the power of friendship prevails.


	12. Epilogue

It was Saturday.

More specifically it was Saturday, the day they rescheduled a Spanish tutoring because they'd both forgotten about it, having been too wrapped up in each other. It had taken Marco everything to convince his mother to let him go.

Marco made sure to wear his boots.  

The primary reason he was wearing his boots was not because they were practical in the snow. In fact, they weren't snow boots but cowboy boots. It wasn't because they were stylish either, though there was certainly that. It was because when wearing these boots, it put him at the same height as Cruz.

Marco liked feeling tall.

He got his jacket on after hearing a knock on the door, thanking god that his mom was gone working. It wasn't his jacket though, it was Ted's. Marco had yet to return it to him. With his boots clunking after every step, Marco walked over to the door answering it.

Surprisingly, Ted was in casual wear but unsurprisingly he was still very much handsome in casual wear. Aside from his face that was, which Marco would still describe as kind of dickish.

"I like seeing you in my jacket..." Ted murmured making Marco's face heat up as he wondered what Ted meant by that. Not what Marco thought surely?

"You really like jackets." Marco stated making Cruz shake his head.

"No. More specifically, I like seeing you in my clothing." Ted clarified and Marco wondered if Ted was hitting on him or something. They were together, so Marco didn't really see the point in him doing that.

"We're not going to go practice Spanish." Ted said as they walked to his car. Marco blinked and got inside, confused.

"We're not?" He asked.

"No. We're going to the school's fair. Its a fundraiser. Suprise."

The school fair wasn't terrible. There were games and little small rides and a horse carriage. People did a really good job decorating. It looked all around like they had put effort into it

"I want to be like you..." Marco confessed to Ted as the horses pulled them along on the carriage.

"You don't know what you're asking for..." Ted whispered,"To be a monster... like me... only able to eat Campbell's or turn to a life of murder in order to be sustained."

"Well son, sounds to me like you need some variety in your diet," said their chauffeur, a kindly old man who was dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief,"No shame in that. None at all, son, may I recommend Fiber One bars?"

Ted sighed.

Obviously this was going to be a new challenge to face on the Horizon. Whether or not Marco truly wanted this kind of life was up to him and him alone. He was going to be a vampire but it wasn't because of the immortality appeal or the powers.

It was because he was in love.

About three things Marco was absolutely certain of. First, Rafael Edward Cruz was The Zodiac Killer. Second, there was a part of Cruz -and Marco didn’t know how strong that part was- that thirsted for his blood.  
And third, Marco was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) like the 12 Zodiac signs, this too, must end at chapter 12. 
> 
> 2) Thank u all so much for your praise and comments i probably wouldn't have been motivated to finish if it weren't for that (this is the first multichapter work that I've completed too) <3 you're all the bomb dot com  
> It's been a wild ride,  
> 


End file.
